Various apparatus for carrying out an operation on slaughtered poultry are commonly used within the poultry processing industry. An example of such an apparatus, which particularly relates to the cleaning of the internal neck skin of slaughtered poultry, is known from EP-B-1 247 453. This known apparatus includes suspension devices for suspending the poultry by the legs, and a first drum which at its periphery is provided with a first curve formed by a first groove. The first groove is being traced by a first projection that connects to a rotatable organ bore so as to arrange that movement of the organ bore along the periphery of the first drum causes the organ bore to be inserted from the top into the poultry being suspended by the legs for carrying out the cleaning operation.
The apparatus of EP-B-1 247 453 further has presser means including a presser chock, which during the cleaning operation rests against the neck skin of the poultry at the breast side and pushes the neck skin of the poultry towards the organ bore. The presser chock cooperates with a second drum provided with a second groove that is being traced by a second projection connected with the pressure chock so as to arrange that the pressure chock is adjustable in height due to its movement along the periphery of the second drum. By arranging that the presser chock is adjustable in height, the pressure chock can be moved upwards at the beginning of the cleaning operation until it reaches a position wherein the pressure chock rests against the neck skin at the breast side of the poultry.
US2002/0155803 relates to a poultry processing machine in which two drums supported by a central tubular shaft are movable with respect to each other along the shaft. The two drums are provided with curves and are placed one over the other, the lower drum's curve being operable on a curve driven lifting mechanism to bring the poultry which is suspended in a conveyor line in a secured lifted position, and the upper drum's curve being operable on a curve driven processing tool, for instance a cutter embodied as a knife for making an opening cut in the body cavity of the carcass through the abdominal skin.
The preamble of the main claim therein reflects in general terms the systems that are known from EP-B-1 247 453 and from US2002/0155803, notably including suspension devices for suspending the poultry by the legs, a first drum which at its periphery is provided with a first curve formed by a first groove which is being traced by a first projection that connects to a first processing means so as to arrange that movement of the first processing means along the periphery of the first drum causes the first processing means to be placed in an operational position with respect to the poultry being suspended by the legs, and second processing means that cooperates with a second drum provided with a second curve formed by a second groove which is being traced by a second projection connected with the second processing means so as to arrange that by its movement along the periphery of the second drum the second processing means is positioned in its operational position with reference to the poultry.
Although this arrangement allows for a considerable tolerance with regard to any possible differences in size of the poultry to be processed, practice learns that poultry sizes may differ more than can be accommodated with the arrangement known from the apparatus of either EP-B-1 247 453 or US2002/0155803, and that inaccuracies may occur in the processing of the poultry, particularly in cases when the drums can occupy a variable relative position with respect to each other.
It is an object of the invention to accommodate for notable size differences of poultry.
It is another object of the invention to increase the accuracy of the apparatus according to the preamble, and to bring it to a level in which the processing accuracy is independent from the size of the poultry being handled.
It is still another object of the invention to generally provide suitable adjustment means usable in any type of apparatus for carrying out an operation on slaughtered poultry.
To promote that one or more of the objectives of the invention are met, the exemplary apparatus of the invention is embodied with one or more of the appended claims.